Let's Rage Coogs presented by Saxenian Family: Houston Cougars get blitzed by UNLV in 27-7 loss!

time for the original Houston post game show let's rage [Music] [Applause] [Music] C well well welcome to this edition of Les raid cou sponsored by presented by the seini family I am Chris Gardner joining me is my brother as always de Dunlap and a newcomer this season to the family Deon y'all frat brothers so go ahead and tell the world who this man is well he really needs no introduction former uh running back and um his body of work at Houston speaks for himself what he did and also High School been coaching as well and so I let him was formally introduce as far as what he's been doing up to date to kind of let let the people know what he's up to and how he's qualified to give his going to have throughout the season I wouldn't I wouldn't say I'm qualified but man I'm thankful and glad you guys have me on man my name is uh Bryce Bell a former running back at ufh I'm currently receiver coach at s Springs High School and U I'm looking forward to it man uh talk a little cool football and and get it going well this one was a tough one man yeah say real quick real quick we'll get it out the way the cougs Lost 27 to7 didn't look good at all offensive line struggled but uh Bryce you Dam let's have some fun man let's let's make people forget about what we just saw go ahead I mean really you gota everything has to be taken into a perspective as far as the the what how they not how they lost that they lost because you got a new coach and so you gota you gotta preference the expectation all they D to unv but you got to take it to respect if we have a new coach and he he's trying to get his players in to get the and put it together he's building it from the ground up and so just being patient with him and just seeing what they have offense really really was just didn't look like they they they were shell shock like they was I don't know what they've been doing look like I don't know yeah man it was it was a lot different than what uh we used to I mean when you think of Houston you think of high offenses you think of high offenses and high part offenses moving the ball up the ffield tempo what UNLV was doing to us early on in the game is what we're used to seeing from Houston and I think a a large part has to do with being the second most uh schools with turnover having 63 new players that's I think trying to get adapted I I don't think uh the old line is meshing like they need to and I think that was the biggest flaw that I saw today from anywhere so yeah it was it was tough to watch but I I saw some positive things that later on we get into but from the start it was it was rough I think that's where it started up front especially because there was times where Russ was just Rush free and Donan would have no opportunity to even get to his first option or anything and so when the play is broken from from this almost from the snap it's tough to him to get into a rhythm now he starts to speed up his process of sometimes the clock when he maybe he has a little bit more time this disrupts the rhythm of the offense I think we call that seeing ghost I think because they the offense line hasn't meshed yet and the pressure they were getting pressure with four it started out with fourman pressure and they were just doing different stunts te stunts that was confusing o line and they were getting free rushes and I think once they got in his head It sped his clock up and he starts seeing ghost and and once he start seeing ghost you start seeing people that not even there and then sometime he was stepping up too far in the pocket when he didn't need need to and it was making the sacks easier for you LV so I I I really believe that with time I think the old line can get better but right now the start it was it was bad it was really bad yeah no no sugarcoating that I mean let's see unov had six sacks Houston had one sack for the most part fellas and audience I'm going to be the moderator and do the comments and and the questions and posts like that I'm let Bryce really show his share his knowledge with everyone but this I got I got say this right here Ronald Brown oh man I don't know what you expected I mean and let me say this this is my perspective okay the cougs have been in the Big 12 for 14 months basically 13 months really they're starting over with a new coach who was left with nothing you know let's be real as Bryce touched on it 63 new players new coach offensive line we knew it was going to be a question mark coming in this season Donovan Smith coming off injury offseason shoulder surgery he looked shell shock he looked Rusty I did not think the coups would win tonight I did not think they looked as bad okay let me say that for sure but I thought they would struggle but this was to another level but to say that you a just embarrassed to Big 12 and on on this stuff this is a whole new era okay this is the Willie Fritz ERA this is not that other guy who left the team with nothing as de said starting from the bottom the rock rock bottom they're starting over right now right this what you're gonna see for a while yeah yeah um I wouldn't say it embarrassment to the Big 12 uh I expected him to start slow I will say I I wouldn't I wouldn't expecting this slow like it was probably I wouldn't say embarrassing for it was embarrassing for coup fans to be able to witness I at times I I wouldn't say the the talent level wasn't there I just felt like up front it was like a lot of miscommunication Mis like I don't know if the guys under estimated un which they shouldn't because going in their offense and their team was one of the teams like they got votes in the preseason ranking so we should have been prepared that this is a really good football team and let me let me not get it twisted that team that we played against today is going to be something to rec with in in in their conference and they're gonna be they're gonna have a chance to to V for one of those spots because uh they they run a really good scheme the Up Tempo scheme we talking about the offensive line now their offensive line also control the game they run for over 200 yards against us R 200 yards they controlled us with Tempo and that Tempo what that Tempo did was it wore us down it kept it kept our offense off the field and then and sometimes when a team keep picking up first downs and they keep running Tempo it just demoralizes their whole team and I think both sides of the ball up front they dominating us and and I wouldn't say like you say embarrassing the Big 12 no I yeah yeah yeah I agree yeah I agree and I I think the talent you can see the talent I like I think it just starts up front because once you're unable to establish a line of scrimmage then you really can't do anything on on either side but but you can see the flashes when they had time and they were able to get some of the athletes in open field like they they have the talent and there you see even the interception I mean that was a heck of a play and and the defense they battle we we at least have to talk about about the defense as well as we will as we continue the conversation but just just offensively starting with them I think they they just couldn't establish anything Parker Jenkins would he was unable to kind of get going at all none of the Run game and so it was tough but I definitely don't think that they're embarrassment at all and you know Ronald I'm not going to post a lot of your comments but this one I know you're not being serious but but come on about be afraid be removed from the Big 12 not happening okay this there's no relegation that's not but we we're just just let me just say this this is game one of the Willie Fritz era I think some fans C we're all C fans okay we're coug alums but this is going to be a rebuilding year the rebuild might take a little longer this this season than we thought that's all this is this was a loss they're gonna L they're gonna lose Oklahoma next week okay they're gonna be but they're gonna get better they'll be better in October than they were today GNA be better in November than they were in October that's what this season is about it's get getting better week in week out I think the positive thing I think one positive thing I saw and I I I think the reason why the the rebuild is gonna be I think it'll be quicker than what most people think is that he Co Fritz was still positive even when they down 27 to Zer you can tell he's trying to establish his culture there and I think that was the biggest things missing was culture we didn't we didn't you didn't know what type of Team you was getting with ufh over the last three or four years and and and coach hogenson was my guy he was my offensive coordinator for two years when I was at UFA so I I love the guy I think he's the offensive gen but I I really think the last couple years we didn't have a culture we needed and I you looked at those two lane teams that he had they had a culture they was hard noosed they played physical they were disciplined and I think it's going to take time this year to establish that coach but you can see how hard they were still coaching the guys which told me a lot about this season and that's why I'm not too down on what happened today down D let me say this that you can have it coach frit said throughout off season these first few few games he was GNA play a lot of people to see who could do what that this is game one of that who's going to buy in yeah that's what it was yeah I was just going to say one thing that surprised me was the amount of penalties it as one they were beating themselves and so with that point with the discipline and kind of the message throughout offseason and the spring was was the um finishing playing the right way discipline and you one thing that I noticed that happen each time they hand the ball to the ref and so just the minor things like that and establish things like that I thought they would have been prepared on on that and not be able to have the amount of penalties to kind of beat themselves versus I mean the chemistry I can understand that but the penalties definitely surprised me and one of the biggest plays I think could have sparked them was when they got the punt return and it cost them 60 yards that that that flag right there cost them 60 yards to go backwards I think once that that pun return got them going could have got them going could have made it 14 through 147 and it's a totally different ball game but that penalty right there set them back and once you go from possibly being on a 20 yard line and you going all the way back to the third that that that's those are killers that he's going to eventually weed out and U uh get get established because his teams like I said his teams in t Lan didn't beat themselves like that and I and and I think once he get the guys who gonna really Buy in and and get going that exactly what happen as well and Bryce let let me say this you you told us this in in our first group conversation the difference in recruiting that you noticed from coach Fritz and the staff let's touch on that as well um he's recruiting Texas guys and and and that's one thing being a Texas football coach we appreciate as high school football coaches and I think when you when you recruit Houston and Texas guys and you recruit guys who G to play your style of play like what he's doing you're gonna eventually like one of the things disappoint one of the things I can say was disappointing was the crowd size today um and I think a large reason is that because we got kids from all over the country instead of Texas kids and I think the type of kids he want or kids who's going to take pride of playing for a Texas school and and he's going to get to come in and I and if you look at our recruiting class we got a lot of Texas kids in this 25 class that's committed um one of the kids that I I I got I get a chance to see a lot uh I don't know we can bring up the quarterback that's committed right now uh from Rich Point uh carile he's a stud that not many people know about but you get you get the backing from the Missouri City community and the Siana Community to start coming to the games and once you get that buzzing you start people start start com I tell people all the time if if ufh is if we if we able to get the top players in Houston we win a National Championship if the best players stay in Houston will win a National Championship but it's going to take time to get to that point by getting players around here saying okay we're gonna we're going to recruit our own we're going to grow from our own and we're going to build that instead of doing the jeo right the out of state way that we've done in the past um this is something that I I think coach FR is doing a great job his fresh year in and like I said people y'all gotta be patient it's gonna happen but we just got to be patient Dan go plug a read man plug a sponsor now as you say that this episode is brought to you by thank you the couston for being a sponsor of the L race cou the couston tailgate is located in the blue Lots want 16d on game days all are welcome and enjoy food drinks and music with the [ __ ] family and show follow them at Kon for tailgate details appreciate Kon for being one of the sponsors also it's BBS pick three on triple play at BBS near you visit bbex orleans. locations they have good seafood there plenty other options and of course Star Pizza one of the best pizza restaurants in Houston the best one uh regular hours all weekend and Labor Day and National cheese day is this coming Thursday so make sure you come this Thursday and they'll have some awesome specials dropping on Monday just for just for that and and let me say this about a slow rebuild slow rebuilds will hurt us where where we going I mean seriously where are we going all right the cougs are in the Big 12 power for conference I thought this season would be tough I didn't have a lot of wins for this team but I thought this team would be better as the season progressed this this this football team is year one under coach Fritz it's like all the fans of basketball of Kevin Samson forgot that coach Sams first three years at the cougs basketball did not make the tournament the first three years did not make a tournament oh look but look at where they are now okay they're Nally relevant so I don't know those folks who had I guess unrealistic expectations for this season what are you looking at what what what were you thinking was going to happen this year with a new head coach how many new coaches new programs with how many Ry 63 new players look good in that first game against a team that was 9 and three this past season and brought back almost everybody everybody so help me out there Dam you want to go you want me to take you on that yeah go ahead you got it I that that's that's and and I'm in these cool Chats on Facebook I'm in all these Chats on Twitter and things and and I see the Panic from day one and and I'm just thinking like this is mindblowing like I you could sometimes I as a player former player we try not to say man people just don't know the game but you got to understand what coach Sam like you said coach Samson did he built a culture for the basketball program now and how do you know he build a culture is the city that they have no matter who plugs in now we've had some great players Jamal Shay was a is a great was a great player for us Rob gray was a great player for us but those players they set a foundation they set a standard down that then the players coming in they know what to expect com they know they're going to get coach hard they're going it's a certain way we're going to do things around around at ufh and that's all coach FR is going to do he's he's he's establishing that now it's going to take maybe a year or two I I I don't think it's gonna be a really long rebuild because he's gonna get players to want to come play for him if you meet the guy he's gonna want to get players to come play for him just gotta stay patient it's part of the process yeah when when I first got to U ofh uh COA we wasn't we was seven and5 I think my first year uh my last year was 13 and one it took us three years to get to where we wanted to be Co had a vision he had a standard that we got here and we followed it we had a a scheme that we knew was good at we were good at it my firstes year we put up a lot of points but as a program we wasn't where we needed to be at but by the time we got to year four man we was rolling we beat UCLA we beat Oklahoma State we beat Texas deck we beat all those teams because we we understood the culture we understood the work we needed to put in and that's just what it's going to be it took year or four for us to get to being national rank getting up to number seven in the country it takes time and I and I urge people to be patient it's just going to take a little time but I really believe that this guy can get it going and and and build the culture so just don't don't don't panic right now it's gonna be now if it's year three or four and we still having these conversations where you LV is beating us this bad in the first game then yeah that's when you hit the panic but not you one kick face let me let me back up because now you see you messed up now you messed up what did I say I said three years his first three years he did not make the tournament the NCA tournament I know they had a winning record but isn't the objective to get to the tournament right that's the objective to get to the tournament his first three years heck year two and year three of that 22 and10 season coach Samson lost in the quarterfinal of the AAC quarterfinal of the AAC you know what after those two losses in in the quarterfinal of the conference tournament I called into question about the fans not raising the bar of Coach Samson and the basketball program I had fans Chris you say you want coach Sam fire that's not what I said I said I want us to raise the level of expectations of the staff well year fourth through now what have they done so come on folks just relax you know football is Rice's territory D's territory you get in the basketball I'm just saying I ain't the one I'm not the one to do that no no no God damn and folks if you're wondering Andy's at the stadium getting post game with Coach Fritz and he'll join us momentarily yeah we'll have more from um coach Fritz and I think some of the players availability as well but I just wanted to piggy back on some of the things that that brght said as far as it take how it takes time to actually build a program but I I want to ask the question what what's it what's the message like for Coach Fritz and his staff recruiting High schin players to getting them to buy in whether it are you selling Houston and and Texas or how is it to get a kid to see where we the product because you know they most kids you think want to win now but some like you know what I want to be a part of changing something so is it guess to meet each kid where they are in individually yeah with in this era it's a lot different I I have a lot of kids that that I have a lot of kids that's getting recruited now and things they tell me is have nothing to do with winning football games sometimes so it just depend on what type of kids you getting and I think that's going to be the key coach fris is gonna get his type of kids because that wants to come in that that's not worried about the nil money it's not worried about the glisten Glam they worried about man if I go in here I get developed I may come here as a three store but I coach fris is shown me he's gonna let let me leave as a and and and develop as a five star by time I graduate college and those are the type of kids he goes on that's why I'm not afraid because at to he wasn't getting top level kids committed to him he was getting kids that fit what he was trying to build and I think that's what's gonna be the key of Ufa so I I know I as my I do my part as much as a lot I know a lot of high school kids I try to push them U of AG as much as I can because I believe in the university the university changed my life and it gave me the opportunity and I think coach FR is gonna have to sell what he's selling what what what his what he believes in also he has a great University now to sell with it in a great city to live in I came from a Small Town East Texas and I thought to myself when I first got there Houston man I'm never I'm I'm going right back home when I graduate I'm not standing in this city when you come here you fall in love with the city and I think he can sell the city along with the university and also his plan and if the kids who want to buy in or the ones who committed to it now they committed to him now we got one of the top 30 classes in the country they commit to him now for from his vision and we hav play one game this game I don't think is going to have any effect on recruits because they understand that they are they are getting sold right now you are the reason reason why we're coming out to you is because you're gonna be the change and I think that's what's G well said well said I think I can see that and um and I can't wait I I I think today it was it was a lot of positive you can see but you can just see certain things when they get back to practice they're going to work through you look a month from now okay okay what they lot better than they was against UNLV and then about the time it's the end of the season you never know they might end the season on a four or five game winning streak and going to the offseason a little bit of optimism but you got to take it week by week and take it game by game and get better in different areas and I I think they will think I think the thing that they will eliminate early this season is is the penalties I think that's something that this staff will nip in the bud and they be able to get this team to play I don't want to say mistake free or penalty free but not as many pings that we seen because today was game one so I gotta keep that in perspective but I think that's something that coach frit and staff will be able to kind of get them to limit and and again for the folks joining us the cougs had 10 penalties that's I'm gonna say what four or five more You' like to have in a game 10 is a lot definitely especially you know he he emphasized cou not beating themselves and so that kind of surprised me and that really was my biggest disappointment was a number of penalties offensive line struggles I expected that you know Donovan Smith being as Rusty as he did that kind of surprised me you know missing some wide open throws though some wide open throws I don't know if wi throws last year he threw to some really good guys Matthew golden and he has some really good receivers I don't know if it if he was getting if he doesn't have the same camar with his with his receivers yet but um he for a guy who's ejected to be drafted pretty high U right he had a year he struggled like I said I think and a lot I think Scouts will notice too A lot of that is that's on any level Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback I've ever seen play until Patrick mahes come along but if you watch some of Tom Grammy's worst games when his old line couldn't protect him and he started seeing ghost that's when he was at his worst and he didn't look like the ultimate tombrady so I think the old line play and I keep I hate to keep harping line cuz I love the Big Fellas up front but today we just not good at all and because they wasn't good I think it trickled down we couldn't run the ball we couldn't throw the ball and and when you when you have those mix of you just won't have a good a good day and I think I think those those are fixable things though communication because a lot of things I saw was was simple twists up front that that oh they got to pass off to each other they wasn't passing off to each other they was chasing guys going to different gaps and then they're coming around and free gaps and those just things that's communication I think with me up front so it's things that can be fixed uh we just have to like just get after it get in the film room get in the FR and and I think coach fris will get that done yeah that's the that's the biggest thing is the o line they looked like they were on the same page it looked out of sync and I think that is fixable you you can fix that in the film sessions and everybody get on that same page where you're supposed to be in all the stunts and all that kind of stuff quarterback controversy next Saturday against Oklahoma it's not gonna matter who's quarterback okay Al Smith it's not going to matter we hope the coups look better less penalties than today against U no one expects them to to beat U next year especially in Norman okay but the week I will say I will say this I will say this um I know a lot of people especially uh on my Twitter and stuff been do we do we change from Donovan do we change from Donovan I I I don't think you will see that especially in the first five or six game now towards the end of the year if if God forbid if if we're if we're awful you most likely I could see coach Fritz now making that move but not right people right not he's not gonna make a change right now the guy the guy is really good he's a good quarterback and um you have to you have to go out you have to throw your best players out because once you start once you take him out now you send a bad message to your locker room basically throwing in a white child and saying hey we don't think we're gonna be very good this year and and so if God see that you making that change early on in the year you may lose your team early in the year and I know that's something as you try to build a culture you don't want to do so I I don't think that's G to happen for anybody who's out there thinking okay we need to make that change now yeah I definitely agree with that D definitely is good quarterback I think he just looked Rusty today when I was watching him he just looked Rusty and then the offensive line I can tell affecting him and it seem they just couldn't get in the Rhythm but I think it's it's good that they will have a package for the next um Christ Zion or Zeon Chris yeah the backup just just to let him get get a series to two just to get some experience I think that that's good as well that way because he may be able to get some spark be able to and just give the defense a different look and so I definitely don't think U that they should or will pull down or make a quarterback change I don't think it's not to overreact on Donovan definitely not and you know I'll say this you know all the ball came out of his hand quicker okay but that was against who knows what third string yeah once he got in they didn't bring the pressure they bro they was a simple they just dropped back and cover three cover four basically trying not trying to make UFA short the game down makes uh shorter throws they didn't they didn't twist as much as front they they was they got once they got the lead he came in uh un LV was really really basic they ran a base stuff it wasn't some of the stuff they showed uh Donovan so that's a lot of time people get that out of hand C you're old Y the second guy is better yeah he's going against a something he see normal on day one install just base defense so he wasn't seeing anything erotic or anything different like the stunts that they were giving Donovan we gotta slow down with that to as well and here's a point where is it uh from EI crab at least you didn't get 42 put on them by an FCS team like Texas Tech and that FCS team is abene Christian Tech is in overtime with abalene Christi the score is 5245 oh wow 45 points aene Christian's put on Texas Tech who I think Tech has spent way more money in nil yes than uh and has been there longer all all of that that too third year but uh 45 from Ab and Christian oh no let's oh gotta blow up Texas Tech they're they're horrible they're they're they're just they're trash Oh My Gosh the Scout's falling for them too okay just pump your brakes the coups did not play well tonight we all know that we we saw it they're gonna lose if they play well next Saturday they're gonna lose to Oklahoma okay but then the objective is to get better from week to week and and I'm being serious when I say this all the majority of the fans on here watching right now Les rage cougs on on Twitter and YouTube y'all are fans of the men's basketball program Dan how many times has coach Samson said to anyone listening the objective is to get better from October to November November to December December to January you get the idea yep so as Bryce said if we're three years from now if this is year four of Coach Fritz year three of Coach Fritz and they look this bad then we can talk about things but right now game one under coach Fritz on to the next on to the next yep on to the next man I think I can't wait till um Andy be able to join you so we could be able to hear some post game footage from coach frr here what he had to say I think he he he's almost ready surely but um what did you guys see about the defense I mean now now look let's talk about the defense I I think um it was some bright spots on the defense in in which they didn't just they held them um held the offense in it for for a little bit and then only so much that can stay on the field and let's not get it mistaken UNLV has a high power offense there their offense is coated Co Mar he was at UT the receiver coach he runs a go- go off is what they call it they play fast they put up yardage and numbers on on just about everybody our defense we the we we gave up a lot of rushing yards um but I will say they when it matter they made stops when when they needed to uh 24 points 27 that last Inception I mean that's not on the defense they still have three position they gave they play really I thought they played really well shout out to AJ Hy man AJ the same shout out to AJ man for sure I coached him I coached him two years at Marshall for Mar dude is a baller and he's just doing the kid is one of the most underrated kids I've been around and and he's showing he's flying around there that I say we're gonna be fine defens with that because if you yeah like you say that team returned a lot of starters that that looks they had some explosive players including all americ wide receiver yes all they are explosive off offense that we really we we you can ask for more of what we've done today I think yes we could have some things we could have stop but to hold them to basically 24 points uh you gave yourself a chance you gave you kept the team game close throughout the game with the defense I was excited how well they play uh if they play like that we'll be competitive because the offense not gonna get shut out hopefully in every game but they can play that well versus a team that good that they spread you out they play uh they get their receivers out wide they play a bunch of 11 personnel and they they spread you out to get running lanes and we did a good job of able to contain their run game today and I I was I I left that game think okay our defense played really solid We're not gonna play many teams as good as offense in un even though we are in the Big 12 there's not many teams in the Big 12 that that play offense as good as UNLV and bring it a man from tdcu Stadium Mr andan how are you sir I'm doing good Chris I it's it's always sunny from uh where Chris is at you got your sunny background TDC Stadium I think mine's a little bit more um it's more symbolic of how the the game went today very dark in this portion of tdcu Stadium not the best a way to debut for the Willy frz era obviously that's not what what anybody would have liked to see um we're gonna got a lot of postgame reaction I think uh well right off the the bat head coach Willie Fritz got straight to the point had a uh opening statement in which his first words out of his mouth or one of the first words out of his mouth uh he owned up to how they came out and play said it was poor job coaching uh mentioned the hard time that the offensive line and and well not just the offensive line hard time that the entire offense had protecting he said there were miscues penalties and what was the most frustrating part for him that he mentioned he a lot of it he said it was simple stuff simple miscues and I think he said that was the biggest disappointment uh disappointment when he talked about blocking said it wasn't just the old line it was the backs the old line of course they they don't you know escape the blame but it said tight ends chipping all the things he said um one of the final things he is in quote I'll coach better so he kind of took responsibility for how they came out play uh but very very um somra is probably not the great word but you could tell the disappointment they did not expect to come out and look like that and and quite frankly they they look like unlb look like not only the better team they just look like they outmatched Houston for much of that contest they did and they brought back better Talent than Houston more experienced Talent than Houston guys who play together coach Fritz game one of his time in this coach Fritz era at Houston as Bryce has said numerous time this is going to take some time it's they'll get better this season and they better next season season but this season is going to be some growing pain they're going to be some more Growing Pains but that's part of this process and you got to I love this and y'all get tired of me doing it but this is Hoops in my area I'm going to the guy who's winning and made the cougs natur relevant coach Fritz is is following coach Samson's blueprint he's trying to water the roots and establish a foundation Bryce has said numerous times establishing a culture you don't establish a winning culture after one game after one month of practice that takes time to do you got to bring in your own players get them used to your style of play the guys who won't adapt they won't be here next year simple simple as that but also to add on to that the one way you can do it is by accepting holding accountability hold himself in accountable that's one thing that the last coach staff didn't do that's what I I like to hear that Andy said because that's what you want your headman to do come out and dress the mistakes up front hold himself accountable say that we should have did better not say it's the players the players that's what the last regime um would have said that it's the players we heard that not it's not the players you if you get them right coach them right fix the simple things that he said he spoke about Andy I think they'll be better W within those mistakes and the product will get better they have better results and they get just get better game by game and that's going to that's going to weigh huge in the locker room when when when you hear your coach go to the podium and say I gotta coach better and um that's that's like you said holding yourself holding the team accountable he's the leader of the team coach this is coach Fritz he's a CEO of the organization so when when the CEO steps out and say we got to put a better product out there I gotta do make sure it's my job to put a better product out there that's going to hold a lot of weight in the weight in the in the locker room and I think the players are going to really appreciate that they see that coach has their back because like you said the prior regime didn't do that and I many times I used to watch coach Henson's uh press conference and I'd be disappointed like God you're not having any accountability and he's still doing it like just that he he blames like he did nothing wrong or or the programs on the right like it's never was his fault and I think that sprinkled into the locker room man and so it's I'm excited I was excited to hear that Andy that he he he he said we got to coach better and he saw some same things I saw like the online communication those are things that you just got to make it easy for them to communicate with each other so they can know their responsibility I saw the coaching change that they was trying to make they added a tight end like you said the chip back they added Max protections and that still wasn't working so they just let me know was just communication so uh hearing that is very excited um like I say just it's just direction we we're going into this new era and we had to adapt to it Bryce I want to give you some props man I got a text from one of my classmates he said you're doing an awesome job oh natural tell I appreciate that man oh yeah and this will be the start of Bryce being with us all football season correct yes there you go let's rage cougs doing something big again go ahead Andy no I was going to say uh Cris to kind of take away uh your what you've been doing just quot going back and quoting right down the street uh down Cullen at ferto center with Kelvin Samson you got to start somewhere and for Houston football it wasn't the the place they want to start but this is the beginning and they got to build their way up from ground zero and I think it was very sobering for a lot of fans for everyone in general that that covers and and follows this Houston Cougars football team it was a sobern reminder of just how low how this is a this is starting from scratch and it and hopefully like you guys mentioned a couple seconds ago a year from now two years from now it's in a very different place but it's going to take some time and and 60 new players 60 plus new faces an old line that it was completely brand new there was there was no returning starter now there were two faces that were on the team last year but even then like it was a completely rebuild for the lack of a better word and it's going to be grown pains um and we're going to hear the Clips in a second uh we're going to play the the clip from head coach Willie Fritz right off the bat but the players are still there was no waiver they we asked what the messaging was after the game uh Latrell McCutchen was one of the players that spoke after and and one of the things he said that really stood out they are 100% trust willly Fritz and he said that at the end of the day it's it's not the coaches that go out there and play It's the players that go out there and they have to execute and he said that they have 100% trust in head coach Willie Fritz and the coaching staff and they just got to flush it down and and look ahead next week to Oklahoma which is going to be another tough challenge in that hostile environment but they didn't seem shaken they they honestly seemed eager to to flip the page obviously not how they wanted to to start but there there's nothing really they can do they're they're eager to look ahead and that's and that's a positive they trust Willie Fritz and we touched on it last year but Bryce I heard him say it when coach hogerson did not take accountability and responsibility for everything he blamed everybody else that seep the locker room you got coach Fritz saying right now what on me I will Coach better I will do better we will be better that also seeps throughout the locker room so he has a player's back that's another reason why I Believe In Coach Fritz I believe coach Fritz will turn things around and this will be a successful program for years to come but it's going to take some time to establish that successful program let's hear from head coach Willie Fritz but before we do like to thank first of all I'd like to thank each and every single one of youall Chris Deon and Bryce for taking the time out of your day and joining us here for let's rage cougs crazy to believe this is now the third we're entering our third season of let's R cougs it started way back in 2022 during the NCA tournament run or actually during the American Athletic Conference tournament Run for the Houston KS men's basketball team and here we are three seasons later runting strong and we're we are very very excited to have you Bryce you're going to bring a lot to the table and we're excited to hear your perspective um and and really see the lens of the games through a players perspective which is something that we feel we're really going to make us strong throughout we also like to thank our sponsors for today's show beginning with the saxan family who is the primary sponsor of let's rage Cubs you are watching let's rage CBS presented by the saxan family of course we also like to thank our three additional sponsors for today starting with kouen uh kouen thank you to them for being a sponsor on let re cougs they are cbst and tailgate which are located in the blue lot I actually stopped by then before I head into tdcu stadium and then we'll talk a little bit about some of the other wins there were wins today Believe It or Not depending on how the how the product was on the field there were wins that we'll talk about later on in the show but going back to ksten they welcome everybody to their tailgate and they have a lot of food drinks music and they just really want you to have a good time whether you're part of their tailgate or not just stop by on the blue lot and they will welcome you in with with open arms you can follow them on Twitter at Cen on on x.com that's ouen forgate details of course we also like to thank BBs for being a sponsor on today's show they remind you to pick three on the triple play at a BBS near you be sure to visit them at bbex orleans.com locations and last but not least we also like to say thank you to Star Pizza will be open regular hours all weekend and during labor day this Monday obviously it's a three-day weekend for for a lot of people in the holiday weekend I also like to remind you that National cheese pizza day is this coming Thursday and they're going to have some a awesome specials dropping on Monday for that so be on the lookout you can follow them on Twitter or formerly Twitter x.com starpizza hou and with that being said let's hear what head coach Willie Fritz had to say following the uh University of Houston Cougar's loss to unlb there a head coach poor job with my assistant coaches poor job playing I didn't see much good out there we didn't tackle real well in the beginning of the game that hurt us on the get some knock backs they knocked us back uh then offensively boy we had a hard time protecting you know we we had some uh stuff we thought we could run against him some there were a little bit longer developing type routes and we just couldn't protect it very well kind of got away from the run early and I think that hurt as well had some things going in the kitchen game and we had some some uh unfortunate Mis cues guys trying to make plays and they made the wrong kind of play so uh very disappointed questions Willie along those lines how much can you chalk up to it being game one especially with like the the the holding call stuff like that or was that just simply I hope that's a big reason for it you know I I don't know I uh you know kind of kind of a road game for me you know everything was new with the first game and uh you know we just didn't come out crisp and sharp and sometimes I worry we overprepared them you know I don't know if that's uh part of or not but we we really worked hard you know we spent every second we possibly could so we'd be prepared and play the very best we can but uh just didn't do it you know you go back you look at the tape and I'm sure there's going to be some guys that played a little better than I thought and uh some guys played about how I thought they played you know and then and then as coaches we just got to do a really good job of putting them in position where they can be successful and do things that they they can they can do and I think at times we you know we just you know we got to you know you got to know your limitations sometimes and uh so that's something that's important as well got to identify over the next uh let's ra cougs po coach you mentioned you like you guys did a poor job um in protecting what would you attribute that was it unlb and and what they brought or some of the stuff was just really simple they were just bringing you know two backers in the a& B Gap and little slant twist and we didn't pass it off the way we needed to pass it off you know there sometimes we got beat but uh you know that's going to happen on occasion but it's disappointing when they do something with worked on a buch we don't you know we don't handle it the way we should have so uh you know just uh some of was the backs when always the offensive line couple times just tight ends chipping had one time where we ran the wrong route and you know Don we got stuck holding the ball and and uh you know we took sack so there there's a a lot of things to attribute it to coach you kind of went away from the running backs early in the game uh there that really contribute or something that you saw there that woman no we weren't having a ton of success but I agree with you we should have stay with a little bit more you know we got some good backs and and uh you know then we had a couple PS on that too an inside Zone play and well the guyy supposed to go left he went right had somebody shoot the C and lost it four yards so you know it just was uh it was hard finding things that were working [Music] will the the penalty on the Law return some of the Holdings I mean yeah disappointed you know we had one you know young man thought he guy fell down you know and uh thought it wasn't a hole was see on tape but you got to play really clean in the kicking game they're looking for stuff you know to throw a flag on and and uh you know we had a nice return out to the 30 something yard line we had another hold on it so you know you got to practice clean and then in the game you got to come out got execute clean and we didn't do that on a few occasions coach was putting Zeon Chris in something that was predetermined or was that just the we're going to put him in you know and then uh you know he got banged up a little bit so we we had to take him out yeah I thought we came in at the end of the game and did a good job you had some some nice balls and and uh you know got the ball off on time and obviously they you know I think they had the backups in during that time period but were able to take the ball out of the field score but he he did a nice job coming in there hi coach after a loss like that what does your next week kind of look like going into the next matchup do you really want me to say now we're I got some ideas but I better not do them um you know I told the guys we got to flush that down the touret we had to move on plain and simple you know and you when you have a horrible day you just you know if we would have won 247 I would have said the same thing I know you probably don't believe that but I would have told us hey man that game's done it's over with we're got to move on to the next one we're guaranteed 12 of these opportunities one of them's gone we got 11 of them left and uh we can't sit there and not you know have our best attitudes this week or we're destined to you know have had the same outcome you're muted Andy can't hear you once again that was Houston Cougar's head coach Willie Fritz um a little bit you know game one for us too kind of yeah justing as we go but head coach Willie Fritz too like he he mentioned uh he he alluded to the the different areas that you felt they struggled wi again the biggest thing there was kind of frustration he felt like there was a lot of simple things and even the mistakes that the Houston Cougars made he said a lot of times oh obviously they they had the positive intent they were trying to make a play and they ended up making the wrong play but the biggest message or the biggest focal point heading out of this game is they got to turn the page and they got to look ahead to week two to Oklahoma they can't dwell on it and we didn't get to hear In that clip but he said he kind of has a 24hour rule when it comes to the celebrating or sulking honestly in this case it comes to sulking regardless of whether it's positive POS or negative they got to turn the page they got to look ahead let me show this real quick gotta thank the uh cus cougar from Germany the contribution to Les raid cou Bryce You're Gonna Learn brother with us this show was Global WE Post watch from all over the world this this is Al it's in Germany right now that's giving us a Super Chat supporting the show thank you very much for the uh the contribution and the word we need to fill TDU Stadium it's difficult to improve as a team win games and attract Talent which is coming when the stadium is empty so don't worry about that stay true stay focused move on yeah the talent it listen I remember a time I keep saying I go back I remember a time when I was when I was at U AG they basically paid us to come to the game they was they were giving our free hot dogs at the basketball games because nobody showed up nobody showed up you can come to the basketball game get a free hot dog get a free drink just bring your c one C it was empty was der Rosen were coming in they was whooping our Tails it took time for that to happen and and I I love hearing that interview from coach fris because some of the things I stated earlier it was just simple things when he said not passing off on the uh pass rush that's something I said earlier they just it was a small things that you do on day one install that they wasn't doing so I'm glad he he he he's he's seeing it now he's he's going to address it that guy right there had me thinking go he is a leader of men so he's going to get his coach coing staff to coach better and what you see game one I guarantee won't be the same product you see game 11 and 12 I'm not saying we're g to be winning a bunch of games with you but you're gonna see a better product you're gonna see better communication better everything around on the field so that what that gets me excited as a cou fan to to understand that that guy is he's not gonna just settle he's gonna put in the work and and we're gonna be better the the the biggest thing this year is about seeing that we're improving the small little things of building a culture if you can see that by week then I think it's gonna be a successful season for us question for everybody Bryce you especially how do you feel about the DB group I think it's the right now probably the best group on the team um uh it's the most they they playing with the most Swagger about themselves so they most confident group and you can tell throughout their play uh that's why univ I think they had less than a 100 yard passing this game like they couldn't get anything going down the field because I I I DBS play well shadow AJ H I'm G say it again one of my favorite players I've coached and he's doing a great job on at the U uh so uh to answer the question I think our DB group is very very talented um uh L TR uh he was a high recruit coming out of high school went to I believe Oklahoma and uh transferred back home now so we got a lot of guys AJ was a freshman allamerican at New Mexico before he move transferred to U we got a lot of guys in the back end that are very talented and I think that showed tonight we just got to show up our our trenches a little bit on both sides of the ball and I think we'll be fine yeah I agree with that 100% I think um they're the most talented I think they have the most depth as well and they only thre for 113 yards so that's close B barely over 100 yards and um just just that pick the way the way the momentum the way it still had a chance to shift the game it was such a big play and and this they in their ability to come up with a tackle they really didn't have many missed tackles that that that saved a lot of potential big plays after those 12 15 yard runs that saved saved it from being a 30 40 yard run and so I think the secretary is fine I I think covering on the back in is be something they'll be able to do throughout the Big 12 and even next week I'm going to post this because all of us feel this way we should be averaging 35 to 38,000 fans per game and we can't even do that but the question is there are other schools that have it worse than we do but the fans always show up to support that is true but how many of of those other schools are in a pro sports Town that's also part of it but also I I'm say this you know how I feel but I'm going to say it for folks who may not may be new to the show we as alums need to support UA football regardless of the opponent that's been an issue for my entire life on this Earth okay and I'm 52 years old we don't support the football team regardless of the opponent that's a start right there go ahead brother I definitely agree with you Chris but I I like the perspective that Bryce brought up earlier and that can have an effect with with um coach F staff recruiting in town talent and in in town star with them being able to have a following and and have a community that supports them that's going to bring in a local group that that can bring in even more fans into the group and I also really do think that they should um expand the the student section I I really think they shouldn't do that they shouldn't put a cap on the number of students that they should have in I think as many students they want to come they should be able to get in for free because one thing consistent is the student section so why not expand it and let them have even a larger area to be able to get more fans in and get more noise that would only be for the better but I I think it's going to be from on the up and up but I did that definitely what you said is true as well Chris definitely so real quickly the official tends that they they announced 25750 which um on the low end compared to what the the numbers they had pulled in from last season I think last year they averaged around 30,000 and and the first season opener against UT PSA I think it was exactly around that number around 30,000 so saw a drop off but Dan you're 100% right when it comes to the student section they made a lot more student seats available I think the final number that they said at least the last one that I saw that they posted online was around 6,000 500 6,600 student tickets that they made available and and the student section was great I like I was sitting right in front of the student section or standing right in front of the student section before the game before the players came out and were out they were early 10 10 15 minutes before the game in the brutal heat the sun was beaming down on them they weren't on the side of the TDU Stadium where they're covered and they were loud they were crazy I had a couple of guys that were uh hyping themselves up front row they were Rowdy they were ready to go and if you just looked at the student section I'm actually looking right in front of where they were you would think it was it was a packed house if you avoided everything else around um because they had the spirit of Houston right next to them and then the whole student section around in front it was great and they that's what you want um and like like you said Deon as many students that that want to come should be allowed to come into the game especially at this point so disappointing that that everyone else they didn't have that turnout that you you would want what you expect when it comes to the paid attendance and shoot if they're not going to be showing out then screw it let the students come let them be loud let them enjoy especally especially once the weather gets a little bit nicer it doesn't get as hot and that's how you start winning the younger fans and and the younger audience and then you you start fing TDU stadium that way but outside the student section I'm G be honest the attendance was was disappointing especially when you look at the upper sections the 200 the 300 deck they weren't they weren't packed obviously and they weren't even uh scarcely packed it was a there was a lot of empty seats throughout which is definitely disappointing and and this is part of the drum I beat all the time I said I think I mentioned it during our Big 12 Football media day shows or even sooner even even after um the ad hire show is u8 marketing needs to promote coach Fritz promote we hope that he brings to the program I said that too I mean I think their media Department me working in there when I was a student I just wondering how it's operating now they dropped the ball on on marketing so much and I wish that me having a degree from there and actually working in there I I'm really do qualified to be able to speak on that and and and and can give ideas to things that they can do to be able to to to at least build that fan base on on the media side social media and all that different stuff to be able to to to sell a coach FR like you haven't heard anything in the off it's kind of been the same thing and I think they for a few years now a long time they've been dropping the ball as far as media and marketing in Houston we haven't been good at marketing a head coach since coach Herman was here when coach Herman was here it was they they found something the the Builder Ronald fin thing uh with him and they ran with it and they and he was everywhere I'm talking about Coach Herman was all over the place and he sold the university and that's when you had better turnouts and uh with with with Coach Fritz um it's like it's not the same Buzz that it needs to be he and I maybe because it's his personality as well like he's not one of those raah ra uh guys who are he's just I think it's the media side I think it's a way within media with the camera me knowing how to do it they can shoot behind the scenes and show more behind the scenes of practice making more person by showing just bits and clipers of him just blowing the with of finish just showing a little bit of that him a little bit of his speech closing that those little bit of things is building the narrative creating the narrative creating a Persona creating kind of who he is versus just the little bits of interviews the little bits of that the little bits of videos you can do a lot of that every practice every day you see different social media accounts they putting this content in every single day and that's how you get it because fans they want to see what's going on what are they oh they're doing this they they're watching every day they're on their phones every every day and so why not feed media every single day it's something new whe whether it's just closing out coach closing us out it's something every day so it's just things that from that perspective they're they're failing and with Willie Fritz he has that mic at practices and he's literally yelling the entire practice he has say he has say that the players themselves repeated after the game CBS don't be CBS stuff like that are like little say like that are stuff that fans can r around and you're you're right now like him having a mic screaming he's going to say something that's going to be able to be marketable and and fans are going to kind of rally around that I mean again not to be uh keep going back to the bench basketball program but Kelvin Samson has says all the time the fans kind of have a memorized about from how often he said over the course of the past 12 11 years so yeah you agree 100% there's ways to make him marketable even if they're not the loudest like Tom Herman was kudos to Tom Herman he he was able to cash light in bottle was just right personality to be able to to have that marketing uh htown takeover that how successful they were uh but real quickly let's hear uh from a couple of players they made Joseph mjac and uh McCutchen available let's hear what Joseph manjack had to say after Joseph can you kind of just take to what how you felt in terms of maybe just not being able to get things going offensively as a as a unit and was it things that they were doing or did you guys just felt like you never got into a rhym uh CS just can't beat the coups as coach Fritz has been preaching since he's got here just C can't beat the cou simple as that just need to move on take care bit that practice this next week coming up it seem like guys had trouble you know getting the ball down the field is that something they were doing on defense or protection or how did you see that um kudos to the defense they did uh un lb's defense they did a great job doing what they were uh had going for their game plan and you know you got to be able to move on your feet and execute the job and task at hand and you know sometimes it doesn't go your way but um feel like we give it our best and you know we just got to figure out what we got to do going into the next week and get ready for Oklahoma Andy yeah Joseph um most kind of coach's message after the game keep your head up um if you have anything good to say speak up if you have anything bad keep your mouth closed cuz uh cou just can't beat the coups and it's as simple as that just just keep your mouth closed it's not anything positive simple as that hit a very strong word from Joseph manjack and again kind of listen it it happened it is what it is it was not what you wanted but you can't dwell on it and you definitely can't have the locker room start pointing fingers and and I think how strong Joseph manjack was like point out the positives right uplift each other and if you don't have anything uplifting to say don't mention it and it's kind of on us right we beat ourselves cougs beat the cougs that's what we can't do and again goes back to the point that we mentioned it it's the messaging that that's how you start turning the program and Joseph manjack seems 100% committed to that message you know and it's just we've given credit to UNLV throughout the show uh Kevin Hicks thank you for trying in and joining us here on let's ra cougs we give the credit to the opponent when it's due we don't going to tell you is you know make up stuff everybody saw what happening tonight un was a better team but here we keep it we keep it a buck here on less ra cougs but we're going to talk about the cougs and what they need to do to get better the old line needs to get better Coach frit said he will Coach better gota clean up a lot of things and one of the things he said that I in the post game that I that I caught was he noticed that some guys played better than he thought but some guys played like he thought they would a lot so in a way he's saying in a coach Fritz way I think some guys just don't just don't have it we're going to find out who they are and they're not going to play but it's Not Gon to call him out and say they stink or anything like that but you know he saw they they did what he thought they could do I put like that yeah when he said that I definitely agree because I know as a coach I I coach receivers now and I have guys come to me asking me uh coach Bell why I'm not playing more why I'm not I now FR says here here's your resume this is what you put out on tape this is what you showed me so now I can sit down and say the guys who I thought was doing it this is when we played against you this is the effort you gave me this is the commitment level you showed me you had towards the team he has that resume now on film that they can see okay you say this but this is what I your resume shows me and that when he that hit that hit as a as a coach I like okay he gets he understand I understand what he's doing with that he's let these guys know now that some of you guys you showed me on famm who I thought you were and so now when we had this discussion you can't say I didn't get the opportunity wasn't given I'm a new coach this is what you put out there on tape and I loved every second of it film don't lie film does not lie that's it and accountability go back to another word we talked about accountability I mean once I hold myself accountable to a high standard now you have to have the expect I can hold you to that same standard based on the product that you put out there and and as a result we're all going to get better because holding to the same standard and so I love it and I love it Bryce that's a great point that honestly I hadn't even thought thought about whenever I whenever Willie FZ mentioned that but him being in you head coach they played a lot of players um in this game even going uh to Zion Chris he had his own package obviously OU Oley had had minutes at the end there and then Donovan Smith that's just that's the quarterback position obviously it it be the same in all the other positions that were out there but him being a new head coach there there probably are a lot of players that either just transferred over or are left over from the previous regime and he gave the opportunity and I think in a way that's a great way to kind of win over the locker room because like you mentioned now they don't have that excuse like dang coach never even gave me the opportunity he gave you the opportunity and if if you don't get playing time by the time we get into the fourth fifth game of the season he can he can show you why you're not necessarily getting playing time and there's never that bad blood or there's there's you know you don't have that that mindset where like dang maybe coach doesn't like me or anything like that because he gave them the opportunity and that that definitely hit home because it's definitely something you don't think about until you're you're in those shoes and you have you need to have those tough conversations when I have those tough conversations with my players I said s him down and I say now would you play yourself watching this film with me and I'm showing you this effort you're giving me this this assignment you're giving me if I if you was a coach would you play yourself and those the type of conversation with your players you look at like God I wouldn't if if if I had a guy out there who was blowing assignments having Miss AIDS all across the board Miss assignments not showing the effort that a championship team would need then then that's when they like this this pokem is going in the right direction because we all a each other cend but I'm also seeing what I'm doing wrong and and if they can turn around I've had players Turn Around from from those tough conversation we had and I had players who shut it down you figure out what type of player you have once you have those tough conversation with them and you'll be able to show them and as fans Excuse Me Andy as fans I hope that's what fans want from coach PR and coaches he gives his players a chance to perform on the field during the games if they don't get it done they won't play I mean so that's what fans you should want because if if everyone gets a chance to play they don't perform then you can't have fans saying why didn't he play so and so why he didn't you know he didn't give him a chance yeah he did he didn't get the job done next on to the next go ahead Andy all let's hear what Latrell McCutchen had to say following their 27 to 7 lost to un I mean I'm sure as you can imagine it's pretty frustrating but at the end of the day I feel like we got the tools to go out there and win every game that we play I feel like it doesn't matter who we match up against we got those tools on our team and I feel like we can compete with anybody so we'll just move on from this put it behind us and keep getting better every week J coach was saying Willie was saying the um there were some moments that you can kind of take from the game especially on defense with the Hy pick and I think there was another Red Zone stand that you guys made are those the little things that you you guys will sort of try to build on or do you feel like you know wasn't all bad I mean the loss is a loss but there's things that you can take from this game yeah uh I mean I feel like as far as both sides of the ball go we got a lot that we need to clean up it's not the offense it's not the defense I think it's us as a collective team so I just feel like we got to go back to the drawing board and be coachable and do everything we know that we need to do because the end of the day like I said I feel like we can compete with anybody CH some of the m m tackling early I mean you attri that first game what do you sort of what did you see there I mean I can't make any excuses we have to tackle better PL and simple keep it open for two to three more U go go over to Blake obviously not the result you wanted today but you didn't get to play last season how did it feel to get back out there for the first time I me I'm blessed I can't do anything but thank God but at the end of the day this is a team sport and it's not all about me so I just feel like everything needs to be team oriented so I don't really think about it like that I mean yeah I'm I'm happy to be out there playing again but at the end of the day we lost and this the team's for so you can imagine how I'm feeling L what was it like going against that quarterback and Matthew sluka and got kind of his scrambling to the side that a bit tougher for you guys in the coverage aspect no cover I just feel like they're a good team and we're a good team I don't feel like it was one person that beat us or one particular play or anything like that I just feel like we lost the game and it took four quarters to do so so um looking ahead how do you guys turn the page um and not Dell on this loss I mean we got a good head coach and Coach frit so we just got to be coachable I mean it's not like they don't have the right plan set out for us every week and it's not like we're not being coached to do the things that to do the things right that they're telling us to do so at the end of the day coach Fritz and the rest of the coaching staff they don't go out there and play any snaps we play all of those snaps so we got to go out there and make those plays that's it last one once again that was Houston Cougar defensive back matrell McCutchen again that final sound bite 100% V and confidence in head coach Willie Fritz and the coach staff that they're leading them in the right direction which is what you want to hear and just the the team oriented mindset that he was sharing uh I know they asked him about a Personal Achievement I'm missing last season he didn't want to focus on it he wanted to he took it back to the team and again that that goes back to messaging again silver lining in this game but that that's got to be a positive going forward not only for week two but for the rest of the season and and what the player the players believe in with what the message is you know and this is true he's media trained but that that's also good that's that's also a positive that's a detail yeah yeah because you don't want the players to air dirty laundry in public you don't want that dissension to be aired in public so that's a positive and definitely definitely oh go ahead no go ahead go ahead yeah definitely because I remember I done many interviews when I was playing and and I as one of the leaders of team I was I wasn't gonna go to the podum and say things I didn't believe in when you're a leader and and and you want to be able yeah we had trainings uh when I was coming through that there certain things that we always going to respect the opponent they they teach you things like that to say in in front of but when you when you say things like we have a great head coach nobody told him to say he really I could tell when he said he really believes that and when your leaders believe that that's a positive sign that he's building the right culture because if if I was playing I'm telling you right now and and I didn't I didn't believe in Co Su when I was coming through I was not g to go and say oh we have a great head coach we're gonna turn this around I would just said something different completely different like the players we got to turn around but they really believe that that coach is laying down the right foundation and you could tell how both of them they both spoke him and manj they both spoke about uh it's about us we co don't be I love that message so they they're standing this together U they're going to it's only way they going to write this is together so uh media trained or not U I don't think that he said things that he didn't mean and he didn't he didn't say the cliche thing he said stuff that personally this this about it's about the team it's not about me and I like that and that that lets me know that that they get it and they're going to get it figured out and I think he said things that he I think like you I can for me I can hear the sincerity and what he saying like we can compete and we can play with anyone and and when he said like they drawing up the right assignments for us to execute them like to go out and do the things that they're putting so I I like both of the sound bites both of them were both belief and the plan like you just said Bryce and just like a certain confidence about cools don't be cools we don't beat ourselves and play good sound football and we can compete and let let the best team win and and that should be a a billboard or a hashtag or something they need to start CS that's something you Market that's something you Market C don't marketing yep you know Deon touched on it the social media part of it for the folks who are old old old school some Billboards coach Fritz Billboards around town cougs don't beat cougs cougs support cougs CS helping CS come come support us come watch us play this this Friday this Saturday whatever I didn't see any of that stuff so far across town that should be in the back of the end zone right there everything is here support will shirts out before the game before the game had a student section where just something creative to get the buzz going right now it's like it's like a funeral and and we got to turn the narrative you know being second year in the Big 12 is not enough in this town this town is fair weather you got to tap into those fans and give them reason make them want to come to the games and H first they have to know there's a game happening that's first and then go from there real quickly uh that again I want to shout out our sponsors for today's show beginning with the sexian family this is let R CS presented by the sexan family A big thank you to Mr sexan himself Steve SE indion for being a primary sponsor not only today's episode of let rage cougs but each and every single football uh postgame show and and maybe possibly probably for every men's basketball show as well so big thank Youk to Steve SE indan so look at that big we could never say thank you enough to him of course we also like to say thank you to our other sponsors on today's show beginning with Star Pizza once again wants to remind you that they're going to be open regular hours for the remainder of this weekend and on the Labor Day holiday and of course National cheese pizza day this Thursday they're going to announce their specials on Monday I didn't know that was a national cheese pizza day but there is and they're having specials on Thursday to celebrate it of course we also like to say thank you to BB Tex Orleans for being a sponsor on this episode and they want to remind you to pick three on the triple play at a BBS near you visit them online at bbex orleans.com locations and last but not least also like to say thank you to Cen for being a sponsor on today's episode the Cs and telgate is located in blue lot 16d on game days all are welcome to enjoy the food drinks and music with the ksten family follow them on x.com atcon for tailgate details and kind of an unofficial segue when it comes to the tailgate and it's kind of connecting to everything we've mentioned about how we have to turn it around when it comes to messaging when it comes to marketing one of the key the biggest key person that's that's gonna fall on is the new athletic director Eddie Nunes and let me tell you he won a lot of points because what he was doing before the game he was driving around or he's been driven around in a golf cart across the the different tailgates he was going parking lot to parking lot and stopping at the tailgates with people that were all the way it wasn't just the tailgates that are right around tdcu Stadium he was going to the far lot he the blue lot is located almost dang near I45 and he was going all the way over there um to not only visit the togat but to talk to the people to take to thank them for for being out there in the Heat and and really supporting the Cougars and I was kind of right place right time when I was walking into the stadium I was going right through where the spirit of Houston was and there came Eddie Nunes in his golf cart pulled up gave a pep talk to the spirit of Houston said that they kick ass and that they need to do a good job against unlb and then you could see it in the faces of the spirit of Houston they they gave them a little extra juice and that's the stuff that again you got to start somewhere and you got to build those connections you got to find some sense of some sense of loyalty is not the right word but that that we're all part of the same team right you got to have that connection with the fans with the spirit of Houston with the students um and so far so good because Eddie J was driving around and he was meeting those people that not not that we want to focus on the past but that definitely wasn't being done under the previous regime and you and you have have to what was done in the past didn't work so we have to do different things to put buts in the seats and it seems that there is a different mindset different mentality with Mr Nunes at the start so this loss was disappointing but it's on to the next you hear the accountability from coach Fritz and the players that's different that's a step in the right direction this program will be fine but this year it's going to be tough but the seeds will be planted this season to be better as the season progresses and then next season they will be better Andy I don't know if you want to do it I'm going and do I could pull it up real quick to borrow from Comm man Andy Janis I guarantee it guarantee they'll be better next year they'll be better next year they'll be ranked higher preseason prediction I guarantee all of that but this season there will be some Growing Pains but that's okay because it's part of the process to establish a winning culture and a winning Foundation which has been lacking for this program for a while yep I definitely agree we'll see man like I I just want the fans to be patient and and and give this guy a chance I I wouldn't sit here and tell you this if I didn't being around if I didn't believe it I just I really think being a part of something we wasn't this bad but by year four I good like I stated earlier we went from 7 and5 to 13-1 my senior year and it and it took time and it took a new culture to be set and we're gonna be fine and I'm I'm excited um uh to see the growth of the team and as bad as it may seem today we still was competitive against a very good you're gonna see unlb ranked soon you're gonna see them beating a lot of teams winning a bunch of games it's going to be f yeah and when we think back at it I I se researched this before we came on to the show butan Willie Fritz when he first started at two lane they went 4 and8 that first season in in 2016 and they they actually lost away four seven to3 so they had similar offensive struggles in that game and Chris you know firsthand we all know firsthand of what the men's basketball team here at the University of Houston itself was that first season under Head Coach Kelvin Samson it takes time and and you're going to have to be patient but I think all four of us can agree and hearing the players hearing the the personel that are around the coaching staff this season they're confident that Fritz is that right guy to lead the program into the right direction and just going to be patient one of the things that that we're kind of seeing looking ahead uh you see the the importance of recruiting locally we've seen the changes right there how successful they've been just this past summer One Summer head coach Willie FRS has generated much more was in the recruiting class that the previous regime did probably for all five seasons that they were here so it's little things like that that hopefully uh a year from now Chris like you said you guaranteed that a year from now they're going to be much more in a in a better place and they'll be thought of much more highly than than they currently are but it's gonna it's going to be a process and you got to take it day by day week by week and and hopefully by by a month from now we see much better improvements and then two months are better and then so on and so on about stacking days on that note I guess we can wrap it up yes sir said everything we needed to say yep uh once again like to thank our sponsors BB's uh copon Star Pizza for being a sponsor not only on this episode of L TR CS but for literally uh all of these sponsors they're going to be back at some point later on in the season a lot of these sponsors are season long sponsors as well so we can never thank you enough to them uh a special thanks to BBs for not only being a having a banner on their show but also being sponsored of the tick grade that you see at the bottom of the screen um once again the final score from tdcu Stadium the Cougars fall short in the wiie fritz debut uh to unlb 27 to7 but they'll be back a week from today when they take on the Oklahoma Sooners up in Norman that's going to be another tough challenge for Wy Fritz and I'll toss it over to whoever wants to take it Chris you want to take it first I'll do that just want to thank Bryce for joining us and he's going to join us throughout the season we we're glad to have him and his Insight hope fans really appreciated and the message really is be patient the right coach is in charge be patient things will be positive and turn around the future is bright for Houston Cougars football and just follow me on the platforms Houston round bar review Media Group is all over the place on Instagram and YouTube and threads and spot and Tik Tok all that good stuff and got a show here on the channel tomorrow and as always folks don't know it since 1994 the Houston rounds ball review local name Global Perspective go ahead brce let the people know where they can find you at U what you got going and tell them um how good it was for for you for your first show oh man I appreciate you guys for having me I really enjoyed talking ball um big cool fan of blessed enough to be alumni play uh at ufh for four years um I'm a coug boy as as we State uh in the football locker room um so uh it's exciting to be able to talk about him uh probably one of the biggest fans you'll find um uh just enjoy talking with you guys today and looking forward to the talking in the future you can follow me on Twitter at Bryce Bell um I do a lot of content with my high school football team so you see me post a lot about my receivers and our team everything like that because uh just keeps me close to the game so that's why I do it and I enjoy it um thank you guys again for coming on and tell tell a friend about us uh and get a good aspect so tell as many friends as you can and and we'll be doing this at every game and and you just get to see our thoughts and what we think about it most definitely and of course I'm de on dap thank you Bryce uh for joining us and we appreciate your expertise I think everyone would agree that you a great addition to the show bring a different element that none of us could even bring because of course we didn't play so we definitely appreciate you and we look forward to Growing um game in and game out and have you on the show but of course man the state of course like Chris said like we're all been saying throughout this entire show just state of course be patient stay loyal believe um and Coach Fritz and the F and the team it will get better as always can't end anything without saying go C baby go C