The Craig Way Show
Craig Way talks with Texas kicker Bert Auburn about his 2024 season
Cameron Barker filling in for Mr. Craigway who was down or out east of us in Atlanta, Georgia as Texas takes on Arizona State in the college football quarter final at the Peach Bowl. Our local coverage begins 9am Wednesday. Network coverage 11am kickoff noon central time Texas in Arizona State. Winner takes on the winner of Oregon and Ohio State. I mentioned as we begin the second hour. Some notes from Cam Skataboo, the Arizona State leading rusher. I would say the second best running back in college football. If you listen to Craig, you mentioned your Craig say he believes this is the best running back Texas has faced all season. Well, he's certainly not lacking any confidence. He might be the most confident running back that Texas has faced this season. Talking today at the media availability of the college football Hall of Fame. Skataboo said quote. There's nobody out there that can stop me. Skataboo finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting this season. I was asked again about facing the number one defense in the country, statistically in the Longhorns and how they plan to stop them. They say he said quote. They continue to keep saying that people are going to try and stop me. There's nobody out there that can stop me. We played in 13 games and I've been the target on each one. So I'm not too worried. We're going to play our game and play ball and see what happens there. If they're starting hard, there's a reason. I have full respect for them because they understand what they're playing against and that's why I love playing games like this because they constantly look at me as a threat and that's something I've always wanted to be. And if I'm a threat in the football field against an SEC team that was a runner up to the win their conference and I think I'm in a pretty good position. We got bigger plans. There's still more goals to achieve, a little upset but not too worried when he was asked when he was not asked to attend the Heisman ceremony in New York. Skataboo this season. 1500 rushing yards, 19 touchdowns, 31 receptions over 500 receiving yards, three touchdowns over 2,000 yards scrimmage wise, ran for 170 against Arizona or sorry against Iowa State. He had two runs where it felt like he broke maybe seven tackles each awful, awful tackling display from Iowa State. Wrapping up will be key for Texas in this game. But to say no one stopped him this year, I'm not sure. Arizona State has two losses this year. Texas Tech and Cincinnati, two teams who I do not think have two world beater defenses. In those two losses, Skataboo ran for 75 yards against Texas Tech ran for 60. He's had a couple of games this year. He averaged 2.6 yards per rush against Texas State, only 62 yards. Now he had a couple touchdowns in those game against Texas Tech. He did have 117 receiving yards. So he does have that backfield threat to be able to catch the ball. But the say, you know, he's not been stopped this year. Eh, eh, eh, we'll see. Now he is not faced. He is not faced a Texas run defense like this. And neither has Sam Levitt. Sam Levitt has not faced a Texas pass defense yet this year. So again, and can you dilly him to this today? He wants his guys to be confident and I agree. I don't think there's anything wrong with Skataboo and Levitt saying they want to prove themselves to be the best quarterback on the field or nobody can stop me. Now the thing is though, you got to be able to back it up. You got to be able to back it up because come Wednesday, eh, if both guys struggle against that game, they will be asked about a post game and Texas players are taking out of it. Colin Simmons reposted on Instagram of the code of Sam Levitt saying he wants to prove he's a better quarterback. You know, they're taking events to that. Colin Simmons, a freshman, when you were as a junior and that kind of shows a little insight into how this team, you know, is so tight and so close and we hear a talk about the maturity of this team. But I, you know, I think they love to hear these quotes from Skataboo and from Sam Levitt. And again, I don't think there's nothing wrong with being confident in yourself because if you're, if Skataboo said, you know, I'm not the best running back out there and then you're worried about his confidence, but to see these two guys and their confidence, there's nothing wrong with that. But the same time, you got to be ready to back it up. When it comes down to the trenches from what I've seen against from Arizona State, I think Texas will be able to win the battle, the line of scrimmage against Clemson, gave up 75 total rushing yards, maybe 76. 41 of those came from one run, came from one run, Adam Randall, the receiver had a 41 yard rush. So outside of that one rush, take that away, Clemson only had 35 rushing yards. Now I know Phil Motha was banged up, no Jay Haynes, so they're down there two running backs. But for Arizona State, remember, no Jordan Tyson, the number one receiver. So their number, their number two receiver, by the way, is Cam Skataboo, their number one running back. So if you're PK, there's one guy, there's one guy, and this goes back to Bill Belichick, and Bill Belichick's philosophy on how the defend teams who have that one player is you take away that one guy and you force someone else to beat you. And a lot of times when the team is heliocentric, like Arizona State, who relies on one player to carry the ball and catch the ball, and that guy's taken out of the equation, what happens? The offense falls apart. The offense is not as efficient and does not execute and does not do as much damage as they have been when there are one guys lining it up. And that's what we're going to see from PK defensively on Wednesday. They're going to lock in on Cam Skataboo. So to say, no one's going to try and stop them, I guarantee you, Pete Wieckowski is going to do everything in his power defensively to scheme something up to make sure Cam Skataboo does not beat Texans, because the two games where he did not, there's been a couple games where he's not rushed for 100 yards, but there are two losses this season guys. It's when Cam Skataboo has rushed for less than 100 yards on the ground. Texas has not given up a lot of 100 yard rushes this season. If had two games where they were not great and run defense and that was Georgia, Georgia is a completely different animal. Arizona State is not Georgia. Let's hear some media availabilities today, Craig Wade mentioned he is sat down with Bert Auburn. We're going to start with Bert Auburn, the Texas kicker, the junior, who did say today that he will be back for his senior season or Jeff Banks said so I believe. Let's hear from Craig Wade and Bert Auburn at the Peach Bowl media day. >> I'm curious to get your thoughts on what everybody talks about when you get to this time of the year and now all these extra added games and stuff like that. Folks talk about the toll it takes for the excitement. How have you processed all of that? >> I mean this is why you, I guess, play college football come to Texas is to play these extra games. So obviously the excitement's there. Definitely I would say probably more so other positions toll on their body, but we've definitely had lighter practices and things like that, but I mean this is why you come to Texas to have all this extra excitement. >> I've been meaning to ask you about the teamwork and the synergy that has gone between you and Michael and Lance with regard to snap and spot and placement and everything and the rhythm and the timing of all that. How, I don't know if intense is the right word, but how intricate is the process and making sure you guys are able to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it and repeat. >> I mean it's everything obviously we're super close, special teams unit, but I guess just walking through the process it all starts with Lance having good snap, good laces and then if something's a little off it's on a current to make it right and if current doesn't make it right it's on me to make it right and just we're all a very, very close group of guys and I guess super intricate process that not many people would I guess know about or dig deeper into but there's a lot to it. >> Here's your garden variety indoor outdoor kicking question, much prefer indoors? >> It's comforting knowing you know there's going to be no wind, you don't have to worry about the weather you know being cold. I do like kicking on grass, I love grass fields I just feel like my cleat takes through it a little better, but definitely I mean I can't complain being indoors. >> Yeah. >> With regard to getting another opportunity in this building is there a familiarity thing that that kicks in when you would walk in to Mercedes Benz itself to kick knowing you've already kicked in this building? >> Yeah we'll see we'll see we we practiced there later today but I'm sure just flying back here brought back I guess memories from a couple weeks ago so it's definitely going to be super familiar I'm sure we're probably probably have the same exact locker we did you know at the championship game so. >> Bert was four six against Georgia in the SEC championship game long of 42 one of one of the extra points he did make the game tying field goal to end the regulation to send the game in the overtime that was a 37 yarder he did have two missed field goal still missed the 51 yarder he I believe he's over two on 50 yards or plus this season he also missed a 42 yarder in the first half I believe from the right hash mark outside of 40 yards Bert has really struggled this season inside of 40. I don't know if he has a missed field goal yet his 2023 season was fantastic this year not having a great year I believe he's he was one of one from what 22 yards against Clemson so I think he was about 66% on the season yeah 68% this season down from 82% last year inside of 40 yards he's a perfect nine to nine outside of 40 yards he's six to 13 and that did hurt Texas against Georgia you know you also did make the game winner but for Texas to be able to win a national championship I think we need to see special teams play up to the potential because outside of maybe kickoff return coverage I think Jeff bings would admit that there's some work to be done right there's been a couple of pump blocks this year and not having Keating Crawford and Keelah Robinson has hurt the the Texas punt defense and their ability to block punts I don't think they've blocked the punt this year maybe they they have it's been one correct me if I'm wrong on the text line they've given up a couple of punt blocks in field goal wise has not been great I mean Bert Auburn in 2023 was 11 of 16 from beyond 40 yards but this year 8 of 13 so that number is down just a bit from 2023 but Jeff banks did say today at media day that Auburn is going to return in 2025 the staff wanted to upgrade at punter that's where they went out and got Jack Bo Meister from Utah but they want to be able to keep Michael Kern so that Bo Meister can mentor Kern so we'll see about that obviously Michael Kern has not entered the transfer portal he is the Texas Longhorn starting punter against Arizona State or Auburn is the starting kicker for Texas against Arizona states but the Longhorns to make a run probably need to see more out of their special teams unit more to come from media day at the peach ball we're going to hear from Texas offensive coordinator Kyle Flood up next as the Craigaway show continues on this Monday afternoon ranked number one in innovation 10 consecutive years Arizona State University isn't just ahead of the curve it's creating new paths to success learn from notable clinical and research faculty online that's a degree better explore programs at asu online.asu.edu
Hour 2 begins with Craig's sitdown with Texas kicker Bert Auburn.